New Challenge at Sketch N Scrap

 There is a new challenge at Sketch N Scrap, and we'd love for you to play along!

This is a perfectly lovely sketch, but I will be the first to admit that I had a very hard time with this one.  It forced me to step outside my box and create in a way that I am not used to.  For that very reason, I was thrilled to work on it and stretch my creative muscles.  I decided to grab some pictures that I really love and make a page that just makes me happy!

These two men in my life make me happy.

Very. Happy.

Rather than telling you what products I used or how I made this layout, I want tell you something else.

These photos were taken in 1994, and Shane was just 5 years old.  Jerry was taking him fishing with his Mickey Mouse fishing pole.

Grasp every single moment you can with your children.  

They grow up.  Way. Too. Fast.

I know that's not a popular thing to say right now as I have seen all kinds of articles from young mothers that are tired of hearing it.  I heard that when I was a young mother, too, but it didn't bother me.  I always kind of looked at that at "Titus 2" encouragement and learning from the mothers that went before me.

So let them be little and enjoy every single moment of their running and playing (and fishing).  You never know where your children's lives will carry them, and it's very important that you never take your time with them for granted.  They are such little blessings from God.

Thanks for stopping in today..and remember to make every day your best day!

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My Musky Hunter

There is nothing I love more than sitting down to make a layout for no good reason other than putting memories to paper.  Jerry went fishing last Saturday, and I loved this photo of him with his big catch.

I keep an album of Jerry's fishing adventures in the family room (otherwise known as the man cave).  He loves summer when he can head out for the day to fish.  If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know that my dear husband finds a lot of peace in the summer sun and on that boat. I love when I head down and see that he's been looking at the book.   He really liked this addition, and that makes it all worth it!

I used the left page of one of the layouts in the Make It From Your Heart book - Volume 2.  Have you had a chance to look though these books?  They are just awesome and hold not only sketches, but so many ideas!  At $7.95, they are a steal!  I used a photo mat and a mini album page ("summer") from Artbooking.  "Too much fun" is actually one stamp from an Artbooking stamp, but once I stamped it, I thought it would be fun to cut the image in half to create a phrase.  This is Tommy paper (don't you think it's perfect for fishing?), and I've combined it with outdoor denim chevron ribbon, a little piece of burlap, Tommy Canvas, and the Tiny Type Epoxy alphabet.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Thinking of You, Sunshine

It's my turn to reveal at the Rose Blossom Garden.  We would love it if you came to play along!  We have a few news rules now, and you can use any Cricut cartridge you'd like as long as you follow our theme.  Of course, you get extra credit for using the key we name!  So for this challenge we are using the T key from Artbooking along with a summer theme.  We want you to see what Artbooking can do!

Here is the key that I used to create this card:

I set my real dial size to cut the overlay at the size I wanted it.  I thought I'd like a little something more, so I used the top of the umbrella to highlight the sun.  The other image I used was the title "sunshine."  Now I have a hard time NOT stamping on anything, so I grabbed the little paint splatter stamp from the Laughing Lola card making workshop on the go, and then stamped the Thinking of You heart from one of the Artbooking stamps. A little embellishment and the card was done!

I hope that you are having a great weekend!  Come back tonight because we are starting the Artbooking blog hop!  Each Monday in August you'll get to see a new project done with Artbooking!

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Kraft Containers

I made this Mickey Mouse kraft container for my downline that attended Convention with me.  I love the versatility of these containers and all that they will hold!  I enjoy making things for them that will hold memorabilia that may not go in an album.  It also makes a very good container for saving change for next year's convention!

I used Tommy paper, chevron ribbon, and the tiny type epoxy alpha.  I've had the Mickey Mouse stickers in my stash, and I picked up a knob at the hardware store to add to the top.  Fun and easy!

I'll give you a little tip on these kraft containers.  Paper applies very easily using Bonding Memories adhesive, and with one 4-3/4 x 12" piece of paper you can cover the entire bottom.  So even if you cut out a circle for the top and a band for lid, you are using less than one piece of paper.   This is an awesome way to wrap a gift!

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Guest Designer at ABC Challenges....You Are My Anchor

I am so excited to be a guest designer at ABC Challenges for this challenge!  I was even more excited that the challenge is to create a masculine card.  That means if you need masculine ideas (and I think we all do), you should check out this challenge to get your juices flowing!

I grabbed the sketch over at Mojo Monday for this one.  I will officially say that this is my favorite paper in the Spring/Summer Idea Book (it only took me almost 6 months to decide that!).  It is bright, bold, and cheery, and it screams masculine.  We spend a lot of time on the lake in the summer, so this is perfect paper for scrapping those memories.  "You are my anchor" is from the Sail Away stamp set.  I cut the circles and banners using my Artiste cartridge.

Be sure to run over to ABC Challenges and play along!

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Tommy Club Layout

I thought I'd share one of my club layouts for May.  We are going to be using Tommy, and I am so excited about this paper!  I love the blue, red, yellow, and white.  Really, the possibilities are endless for this paper packet!

This paper was PERFECT for these photos, don't you think?  I love the canvas shapes that complement this paper, and the Sail Away stamp set had wonderful sayings for this set.  You know, just do yourself a favor and really look at pages 56 - 61 in the Idea Book.  You will find so much inspiration with these papers there.  I love all of our papers and enjoy working with them, but I am SUPER EXCITED to teach this paper next month!  We spend so much time on the lake in the summer that I know you'll see a lot of layouts with this paper!

Items used on this layout that can be found on my website:

• X7169B  Tommy Paper Packet
• X7169C  Tommy Canvas Shapes
• C1530  Sail Away Stamp Set
• Z1751  Cranberry Baker's Twine

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Hinged Display Tray

One of the things I wanted to complete while I am here on retreat is this 5x7 Hinged Display Tray.

These are a few of the pictures I took while we on the beach in Grenada.  I used Tommy and the Tommy Canvas Shapes to decorate the tray.  This was our favorite port on the cruise, so I didn't want to over-do it and take away from the photos.  CTMH gave us a stamp with all the port names, so I stamped Grenada with outdoor denim pigment ink.

Now I brought home a water bottle full of sand from the Grenada, and I thought one of our clear treat tubes would hold some of it perfectly.  I squeezed a little Liquid Glass in the top of the tube so that it will be secure.  I also used Liquid Glass to secure the tube to the tray.

I know that Jerry will love this, and that makes me very, very happy to have finished it!

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Tommy

I am leaving to go on a 4-day scrapbooking retreat, and I am so excited!  Bags are packed, and tomorrow I'll leave in the morning.  It's going to be so much fun!  But I wanted to make sure that I shared a new layout with you before I left.

This is Tommy (sorry about the glare on the left page).  Because we spend so much time exploring the state and all it's beautiful lakes, this paper is perfect for my scrapbooking.  All of the stamping you see is from the Tommy WOTG and Sail Away stamp sets. The banner stamp is great!  This is just a super fun set of pages.  I love looking at my husband's smiling face!

Thanks for stopping by!  I am going to have a lot to show you after this weekend!!




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